Garcia Bests Reigning NEC Rookie of the Year, Men’s Tennis Competes at Bryant Wednesday

Links: Box Score  

CUMBERLAND, R.I. – Freshman Jonathan Garcia won his 10-point tiebreaker at second singles (6-3, 4-6, 10-8) on Wednesday, winning the Merrimack College men's tennis program a match in the Warriors' 6-1 defeat at future Northeast Conference rival Bryant University. Garcia's opponent – sophomore Wilson Dong – won the NEC's Rookie of the Year last season and was named to the NEC All-Rookie Team. Merrimack went toe-to-toe with a Bulldogs program that has won five straight NEC Championships. The contest was played indoors at Forecourt in Cumberland, R.I.  

The Basics
Score: Bryant 6, Merrimack 1
Records: Merrimack (2-4) | Bryant (3-4)
Location: Cumberland, R.I. | Forecourt  

Results
Doubles

1. Matt Kuhar/Wilson Dong (BRY) def. Denis Davydov/Conrad Koch (MERM) 6-3 2. Grant Pertile/Jorge Ortiz-Garcia (BRY) def. Alex Fedorov/Jonathan Garcia (MERM) 6-2 3. Scott Plutt/Michael Plutt (BRY) def. Tyler Clontz/A. Mackay Rodriguez (MERM) 6-2

Singles

	1. Matt Kuhar (BRY) def. Denis Davydov (MERM) 6-0, 6-2
	2. Jonathan Garcia (MERM) def. Wilson Dong (BRY) 6-3, 4-6, 10-8
	3. Michael Plutt (BRY) def. Alex Fedorov (MERM) 6-0, 6-3
	4. Guido Argentini (BRY) def. A. Mackay Rodriguez (MERM) 6-2, 6-0
	5. Jorge Ortiz-Garcia (BRY) def. Conrad Koch (MERM) 6-1, 6-2
	6. Scott Plutt (BRY) def. Andre Singer (MERM) 6-1, 6-1

Rapid Recap

• Merrimack utilized the same doubles pairings as it did on Sunday against Boston College: junior Denis Davydov and freshman Conrad Koch at No. 1, junior Alex Fedorov and Garcia at No. 2 as well as junior Tyler Clontz and freshman Alec Mackay Rodriguez at No. 3. Merrimack's first pairing of Davydov and Koch fared the best, winning three of the nine games played
• Garcia picked up his first singles win of the spring after falling against BC on Sunday. After winning his opener, 6-3, the Dublin, Ireland native recovered from a second-set defeat to win the breaker.
• After not playing in singles on Sunday, Mackay Rodriguez rejoined the lineup at the fourth flight. Fellow rookies Koch and Singer slotted in at the fifth and sixth flights after playing up at fourth and fifth, respectively, three days ago

Up Next
Merrimack will be off for a few weeks before opening up the Division II portion of its spring schedule on Saturday, March 2, when the Warriors visit regional power NYIT at 11 a.m. in Old Westbury, N.Y.